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19
Oct 2021
Harrogate murder trial: victim stabbed 15 times
A Harrogate man was found "slumped" in his chair after being stabbed 15 times, the prosecution alleged in a murder trial today.
Daniel Ainsley, 24, of no fixed address, is charged with the murder of Mark Wolsey, 48, at a bedsit on Mayfield Grove, close to Harrogate town centre, on March 5.
Mr Ainsley denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
On the second day of the trial today, Leeds Crown Court heard that Mr Wolsey died due to stab wounds to the chest.
Mark McKone QC, prosecuting, called Dr Jennifer Bolton, the pathologist who carried out the post-mortem on Mr Wolsey, to give evidence.
Dr Bolton said nine of the stab wounds were to the chest, fatally damaging Mr Wolsey's heart, diaphragm, liver and bowels.
Mr Wolsey also had six stab wounds to his left upper arm.
Read more:
- Daytime knifepoint robbery in Ripon left ‘little boy crying’
- Harrogate man appears in court charged with murder
The court heard that the emergency services found Mr Wolsey in his bedsit “slumped" in his chair, with the knife still in his chest.
'Slumped back in his chair'
A witness statement given by Vincent Rooney, a resident who lived above Mr Wolsey, was read in court.
Mr Rooney said he and his partner went down to Mr Wolsey’s bedsit after “hearing a loud bang” between 9pm and 10pm while watching television and could hear Mr Wolsey’s dog “barking constantly”.
Mr Rooney said after following his partner downstairs and opening the bedsit door, he saw Mr Wolsey “slumped back in his chair”.
The court also heard a statement from Mr Ainsley’s father, David, which was read out by the prosecution.
He said in his statement that Mr Ainsley called him around 10.05pm. Mr Ainsley told his father that he “loved him” and that he had “killed Mark”, the court heard.
David Ainsley said in his statement:
The prosecution also read a statement from John Harrison, clinical supervisor at the ambulance service, who said that Mr Ainsley was outside the flat when he arrived at the scene.
Mr Harrison said:
The trial continues.
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